We also found the two finger swipe a little fiddly to action.Īn improved keyboard that offers shortcuts, a new transition screen when switching between apps, a new actions menu to open apps and the ability to auto-organise widgets or app shortcuts when adding new widgets are other notable usability improvements. The notifications screen can get cluttered though, and for this reason we would have liked the option to not expand notifications by default. You can also action various notifications, like snoozing a calendar reminder or sharing a screenshot, without having to leave the notifications window. The notification centre has been revamped, now showing more information if you swipe down with two fingers.
Jelly Bean has a similar look and feel to the previous Ice Cream Sandwich version of Android, but Google has made some tweaks and added plenty of new features. Using it on a day-to-day basis is smooth, intuitive and fast.
#Nexus 7 android#
This is by far the best version of Android yet. The Nexus 7 handled graphically intense titles like Shadowgun, FIFA 12, Dungeon Hunter 3 and Dead Trigger with relative ease. Games, too, run effortlessly and we didn't experience any performance issues during testing. It's fast and renders most pages quickly. The default browser on the Nexus 7 is Google Chrome. The default browser, Google Chrome, is fast, renders pages efficiently and offers good performance. Home screens are butter smooth to swipe through, even with multiple widgets on the screens. There is no sign of any evident lag during everyday tasks. The company claims using Jelly Bean feels a lot smoother than previous versions of the platform and we have to agree.
#Nexus 7 software#
The main feature of Android Jelly Bean is what Google calls "Project Butter", which centres around making the software smoother, faster and fluid.
#Nexus 7 upgrade#
The Jelly Bean 4.1 platform is a minor upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich, hence the version number jumping from 4.0 to 4.1, rather than leaping up to 5.0. The Nexus 7 is one of the the first devices to run the Google's new version of the Android OS, 4.1 Jelly Bean. The small indents printed all over the rear of the Nexus 7 make it look and feel a little like leather. For more productive tasks, like editing documents, or taking long sets of notes, you'll likely prefer a larger screened tablet. It's a great size for reading books and magazines, playing games and browsing the Web. In our opinion, however, the Nexus 7 is near perfect for portability. There will be an ongoing debate between the validity of 7in tablets versus larger 10in tablets. However, these imperfections are easy to overlook when you take into account the low asking price. It lacks the true colour vibrancy of super AMOLED screens, like the one used on the Toshiba Tablet AT270, for example. However, the Nexus 7 doesn't display blacks as well as many rival displays, even though its viewing angles are good. The smaller form factor means the Nexus 7 can fit in places where bigger tablets can't, such as the inside pocket of your suit jacket, or in a ladies handbag. It has a pixel density of 216 pixels per inch (ppi) which leaves it behind the iPad (264ppi) but ahead of most other Android tablets on the market. It stacks up relatively well, but the display of the Nexus 7 lacks the true clarity of the iPad when it comes to super fine text. Despite the difference in size and price, the screen is going to be compared with the iPad. The Nexus 7 has a 7in LCD display with a resolution of 1280x800, which is quite impressive for its size. The Nexus 7's smaller form factor and excellent design makes it comfortable to hold and use. Further, its light weight makes it a perfect device for reading books and the smaller form factor means it can fit in places where bigger tablets can't, such as the inside pocket of your suit jacket, or in a ladies handbag. This is a tablet that's easy to use single-handedly without the risk of it slipping out of your hands. More important than looks, the material makes the Nexus 7 very comfortable to hold. The small indents printed all over the rear make it look and feel a little like leather. We particularly love the soft feeling plastic on the back of the Nexus 7.
There's no real evidence at all that the Nexus 7 is a budget device.